1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cutting tools for cutting sheet materials, and more particularly to a cutting tool for quickly and easily cutting roofing shingles that have been installed on a roof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Asphalt shingles are the most prevalent roofing material used on homes, garages, and other structures having gabled roofs. After exposure to the elements for a period of years, the time being dependent upon the climatic conditions to which the roof has been exposed, it is necessary that a new roof be applied because of cracking and embrittlement and curling of the shingles. Although a replacement roof can be applied directly over the old roof, it is common to remove at least part of the old roof in order to reduce the weight of the roofing material that must be supported by the roof's structure and leave a flat surface for the new shingles to lay on. Oftentimes the partial removal of an existing roof involves severing the tab portions of the shingles from the roof and discarding them, and then applying the new roofing shingles directly over the remaining parts of the old roofing shingles.
The removal of the tab portions of old shingles on a roof has most often been performed with a small, hand held cutting tool, such as a linoleum cutter having a convexly curved cutting blade. However, the cutting operation using a hand held cutter is a time-consuming and tiring operation because it requires that the roofer kneel on the roof and draw the linoleum knife across the old shingles, using only one arm to exert downward pressure on the hand-held linoleum cutter in order to cut through the old roofing material.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shingle cutting tool that permits more rapid cutting of shingle tabs from an existing shingled roof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shingle cutting tool that can be quickly and conveniently drawn or pushed across the roofing surface to rapidly cut through the existing roofing material.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a shingle cutting tool that can be used to perform the cutting operation while the roofer is standing, and so that he can either push or pull the device along the roof using both arms as he walks along the roof surface.